The Rev. Jimmy Abbott
Second Sunday of Easter
April 7, 2024
John 20:19-31

Of all the places I’ve ever lived, Galveston is the best place to go running. It’s flat, no hills. You can see the Gulf, the clouds, the sun; and the people watching. I have my favorite route, it’s a big loop that goes through the city, along the Seawall, and back down the city to our house. The only decision I have to make when I go running that loop is – which way is the wind blowing? And, maybe because I’m a lazy runner, I always make sure that the longest part of the run, along the Seawall, should be with the wind. 

Because who doesn’t like a tailwind? Who doesn’t like a little extra oomph, some free energy? If given the choice, we always go for the tailwind. 

And I think that’s how we read this story from the Gospel of John. It’s Easter afternoon, the disciples are in their room, and the risen Jesus appears to them. Jesus says to them, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you. When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” Jesus breathed on them. It’s a tailwind. Jesus is sending them out to preach the good news of love; to share the gospel; to bring others into this life of faith. And sure, it’ll be hard work, but it’ll be like a long run on the Seawall, and at least Jesus is giving them a tailwind, he’s breathed on them. The Spirit of Jesus himself propelling them, moving them, giving them a little extra oomph. 

And for too long, that is how the Church has functioned. We’ve been complacent, trusting in the tailwind, not having to work all that hard for the good news of Jesus Christ. As you all know, I’m the official historian for the Episcopal Church in Texas, so I can say this with certainty. Not that long ago, all you had to do was plant a church and people would start coming. Either by law or by custom, the Church had a consistent tailwind. And we thought that tailwind was from Jesus. But no, that was just the winds and whims of culture. 

Today I would like for us to flip the script. When Jesus blows on the disciples, it’s a headwind. Think about it. Jesus is breathing on them, he’s blowing the Holy Spirit upon them, not to make their lives easier, but to make them harder. He’s sending them out to persecution, to ridicule, to mockery, and even to martyrdom. He’s sending them out like lambs into the midst of wolves. This is no easy task, this is a headwind. This means they will have to work harder, to dig deeper, to give it even more just to go the same distance. Today I want us to think about the Holy Spirit as a headwind. And no matter which way the winds of culture are blowing, we still have hard work to do. Especially in our personal spiritual lives. 

This, in part, is what we are witnessing today as a church. Today, six women and three girls are taking vows in the Daughters of the King. They are intentionally taking up a headwind, they are taking on vows of discipline. Vows to pray, to serve, to study. If life with Jesus was a tailwind, we wouldn’t bother with discipline, we wouldn’t take vows, because everything would be easy. We’d just be taking a nice, easy jog down the Seawall with that breeze at our backs. But that is not the faith in Jesus I know.

And next week, we’ll be baptizing three young girls into the faith of Jesus. They and their parents and godparents will be taking vows. Solemn promises to raise those children into the full stature of Christ. They are taking on a headwind. When we baptize someone, it is not the end of their Christian life, it is the beginning. It is the beginning of a life of prayer, and service, and worship. Those things are not easy and they do not come naturally. That is what the Christian life is all about. The Christian life is about taking things up. It’s about taking up the cross and following Jesus.

You already know this. If you want to get better at something, you have to practice at it. If you want to get stronger, you have to work at it. We have to bring that same understanding of discipline into our life with Jesus. Then, when things do get hard, we don’t just give up. And maybe that’s what I want to say most of all. In your own Christian life, if you’re finding it hard to pray, hard to read the Bible, hard to make time for worship; that probably shows that you are on the right track, and that you need to dig in, put your head down, and work at it. If the wind is blowing in your face, then close your eyes and picture Jesus standing right there in front of you, breathing the Holy Spirit on you. 

And then you’ll learn what every experienced runner knows. On a hot summer day, on a long run, the thing you want the most is that breeze in your face. You want a headwind. Even if it makes every step a little harder, even if it takes a bit more energy, that cooling breeze is totally worth it. This is the good news I have today – good news, but not necessarily easy news. The good news of Jesus Christ is that even now, he is blowing the Holy Spirit onto you. Not to make your life easier, but to give you the grace, the courage to do the hard things set before you. Take the example of these women and girls, take the example from Holy Baptism; take up your own vows and take up the cross and follow Jesus. And when you feel that wind on your face, when you come across all the hard things with Jesus, hear him say to you, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”